Most clients that a live-in carer will stay with will be taking medication of some sort. Some clients may be capable of self-medicating, but very often it will be up to the carer to give the correct medication to a client. 

Because there is so much scope for error with medication, it is vital that we are well organised with all the medication.

Unfortunately, many clients you may care for are notorious hoarders and you may find that there is medication placed in strange places and kept just in case it is needed in the future.

Where do we start?

Every client that you go to should have a list of medications that they need to take, and this is a good place to start. You should assemble all the medication together in one place. Make sure that what you have matches exactly what is prescribed to your client.

Make sure that any medication which needs to be kept in the fridge is placed there, in a safe spot where it will not be affected by any spillage. Door shelves are an ideal place as nothing should drip onto medication.

Remove any medication which is out of date or not on the medication list for your client.

Medication which you should dispose of:

• Anything that is not on the up-to-date prescription
• Any expired medication
• Medication with no expiry dates and unreadable labels
• Medication with damaged and half opened packaging
• Medication for other people

Choose your storage system

It is a good idea to have a dedicated box or container for medication. You should keep this exclusively for things which are prescribed and need to be taken at certain times a day or week.

You can buy storage boxes with lids and many stores. A lid will help keep dust away.

You may not need to use a lid if the item is stored in the fridge as this may encourage condensation and dampness, but the medication should be kept where it is safe from food contamination such as drips.

Where should we keep medication?

This largely depends on where your client will be when they take their medication. If you are caring for a bed bound person then it makes sense to keep medication at hand, perhaps in the bedroom.

When keeping medication in the kitchen be sure to store away from the sink, cooker or side of the fridge. All these areas give off heat which can reduce the potency of the medication.

Final thoughts

Never keep medication which has expired as it is regarded as unsafe. The medication will be ineffective, and the chemical composition will have changed.

It can be a source of tension when you try to remove useless and out of date medication and you may need to enlist the help of family to do this, but the only medication you should have at hand for your client is that which has been prescribed by the doctor.

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